The present invention relates to a toy system comprising at least one toy vehicle having wheels, and at least one toy object, having a member, which is movable between an initial position and an active position.
A prior-art toy system of this kind is included in a toy railway kit, and the toy object thereof has a rail element having a roadway, which crosses the track of the rail element, marked thereon. The toy object further has a member forming a level-crossing gate, which is pivotable between a raised vertical position and a lowered horizontal position, in which it extends across the roadway. The level crossing gate is manually moved between both positions by the child playing with the toy system.
One object of the present invention is to provide a toy system so constructed that the movable member of its toy object is automatically moved from its initial position to its active position as the toy vehicle approaches the toy object.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by a toy system which is of the type mentioned by way of introduction and in which the toy object has an operating means, which is movable between a first position, in which it is adapted to hold said member in its initial position, and a second position, in which said member is allowed to be moved from its initial position to its active position, wherein at least one of the wheels of the toy vehicle includes a part which is adapted, when the toy vehicle is moved to a position adjacent to the operating means, to interact magnetically with the operating means to move it from its first position to its second position.
Preferably the operating means supports a permanent magnet and said part is made of a magnetic material and hence is adapted to interact with the operating means by magnetic attraction. Said part is preferably a hub-cap-like part.
In a preferred embodiment said member is influenced by a force acting in the direction of the active position of said member. This force is preferably the force of gravity.
In another preferred embodiment the toy system further comprises a rail element, which is a component of a toy railway, wherein the toy vehicle is adapted to be moved on the rail element and the toy object with the operating means is mounted on the rail element. The movable member of the toy object is preferably a level-crossing gate, which is pivotable between a raised initial position and a lowered active position.